DIY runnels in epoxy lab countertops--progress pics

12 years ago

I'm getting closer to finishing my DIY, vintage, salvage, low budget, quirky kitchen. If you've seen pictures of my DIY barrel hood, you know I think outside the box, so you won't be surprised that I decided to do my own runnels in the epoxy resin lab tops that I'm using in the cooking/clean-up area.

Someone at a local monument showroom recommended using carbide router tips, so I ordered three 5/8" bits, thinking that would be plenty of back-up. Ha! The material chewed up every one of those bits, but I did end up with some decent-looking, short runnels. I'd have liked 15" runnels, but three $18.00 bits were enough of an investment for me. I've read that professionals charge between $350 and $500, even $1200(?!!) for runnels in marble, soapstone and granite, so I suppose that ap. $60.00 worth of bits and sandpaper isn't too bad. My father used some scrap lumber to make a jig to raise the router gradually, so that the runnels would be sloped and the ends tapered.

Mine are 10 1/2" long and 3/8" deep, polished to 600-grit to match the countertop surface. Can't wait to hook up the sink and wash my first stock pot!

The slabs aren't secured, yet--the seams will be filled with epoxy putty. I'm trying to decide whether to use a scrap piece of slab for a short backsplash.

Sanding and polishing:

Runnels, scroll forward

NOTE****If you cut or sand epoxy resin products, be sure to work outside, and wear eye protection and a dust mask!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen remodel thread in Smaller Homes

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Comments (26)

oldhouse1
12 years ago
Wow mama_goose, That is outstanding. You are brilliant and creative. Well done! What a fun kitchen. Be sure to come back with the big reveal.
senator13
12 years ago
I can't wait to hear what you think of them in the long run. I really considered getting labtops myself!
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marti, thank you, I like the half-gallon canning jars, too, but mostly for storage of dry goods. My kids love dill pickles, so I used to buy them by the gallon at Sam's Club. And a friend gave me the extra gallon jars that she had collected from a local restaurant, for a Cub Scout project. They had held condiments and peppers as well as pickles. shades, I'm planning on making 'Chex Mix' soon, and I'm thinking that the 80 ounce jars would be the perfect size to fill and give as gifts. EATREALFOOD, I have two Ronco dehydrators, ordered years ago, after seeing them on a TV commercial. They have heat coils, but no fan, so take longer to dry foods than the smaller Waring dehydrator that has a fan. The fan is really noisy, but if noise wouldn't be a problem, I'd recommend one with a fan. The faster fruit is dried, the less it darkens--I don't add lemon juice or ascorbic acid to stop the browning. And with all the dehydrators, I rotate the trays a couple of times. Yesterday we made pastrami jerky. I have deli pastrami or turkey-ham sliced thick (ap. 1/4), then cut in strips and dry in dehydrator--great for hikes or camping trips. I've also dried deli turkey breast the same way, by first 'painting' it with a mix of Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and spices. My kids and their friends always enjoyed that 'homemade' treat.
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Mom2Sethc: Glad the info was helpful. In making final decisions, the fabricator drew the outline of the sink on the granite and then we drew in each runnel (including the taper from shallow end to the sink). We started with the runnels more inset from the front and back of the sink, but decided we liked them closer to the front and back, so we redrew them. We fiddled with the spacing between, too, and decided that for the sink, six would look good. You might try that with your fabricator, too. I really like the look of OldHouseGal's runnels. She has seven and because she has a farmhouse sink, hers start further back from the sink front. She also has what I've heard referred to as the "colonial style," in which the middle runnel is longer than the rest and the others taper in length from there on both sides. The bottom line is that there are lots of ways to do runnels. You just need to play around with how they will look best with your granite, your sink, and how much room you have on either side of your sink. You can also Google "sink runnels" using Google images and you'll see lots of options as well. Good luck and be sure to post pictures when the work is finished.
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Thank you all for your compliments--I'm so happy that you appreciate my kitchen, and I am very touched by your kindness. Since I love spreading the DIY news, I'll share some info one the cup-shelf project: I've mentioned using scrap lumber, left over from other projects--everything was scrap! I ripped the shelf and support pieces from a 1x12 board, and used a 1/4" cove bit in the router, to trim the bottom edge of the support piece. The towel holder corbels and spice shelf are attached to support pieces, which are screwed into the wall studs, parallel to the counter. The pieces are all connected. All the screw holes were countersunk and filled. Here's a close-up showing how everything fits together: The shelf sits on top of, and is screwed into, the long support piece, and there's a screw that goes through the corbel into the shelf, toward the front. LOL, at this distance you can see the seam where the two corbel pieces are joined. Oh, well, it adds character ;). The corbels are cut on the same upper curve as the supports for the old school cabinet, across the room. They're 1.5" wide, compared to 3 inches on the school cabinets. This pic is of the underside of the corner, with a scarf/miter joint. Each piece is cut on 45 degrees, then fitted together and nailed, making a stronger joint than a butted joint. It's actually backwards, because my miter saw 'reclines' in only one direction, and I didn't want to cut the angles by hand. One could also use a biscuit/slot to add strength. This is the support for the towel holder: The corbels are attached to either side of the 'placket', which is screwed into studs. The window used to be wider, so there's an extra stud in that area. The corbels were then attached to the cabinets. The underside of a cabinet, showing how the corbel is attached--you can see the screw holes: Hope this helps!
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mpagmom (SW Ohio)
12 years ago
Great job! I love the countertops and the runnels. I wish I could do something like that. Post pictures of your kitchen when you're done, please!
dee850
12 years ago
Looks beautiful! I salute your adventurous spirit - I'd be so hesitant to attempt something like that myself.

Are your counters new or salvaged?
oldhousegal
12 years ago
LOVE your runnels! Great job! I'm a big DIY'er but I think you take the cake for those- they look fantastic.

I love using my new soapstone runnels, so I can't wait for you to start using and enjoying yours!
mama goose_gw zn6OH
Original Author
12 years ago
Thank you all so much! My BIL is coming over tomorrow to work on the sink, so I'm hoping to have it up and running by the end of the week.

The slabs are from some old lab tables that I found on craigslist, salvaged from a high school, for only $20.00 each. I've used three on them on the counters, and have one left--back-up in case the runnels didn't work.

I've been working my way around the kitchen, finishing one wall at a time, so we've been using one countertop for a couple of months (during canning season). I really like it--the slabs are so much more substantial that the laminate we had before, and I love the silky, honed feel.

I've been careful not to cut directly on the counter, and I don't put hot pans from the stove on there, either, but I never did that with laminate. If you look closely at the slabs, you can see a few scratches that are too deep to sand out--they're just part of the patina, as is a faint name, KYLE, etched near the stove. I cover it with a utensil can. :)

BTW, my kids had a biology teacher who used to impress the freshmen every year by pouring ethyl alcohol on a lab top and lighting it. You won't catch me doing that!
dee850
12 years ago
What a fantastic deal! They look amazing, as does your entire kitchen so far, based on the photos in that other thread.

Are you finding the counters to be relatively scratch-resistant? I'm curious because I'm a scientist and have been kind of annoyed at how easily my laboratory counters are scratched. I'm not sure exactly what material they are (something synthetic and matte black), but they were new 3 years ago. They looked beautiful, but you can put a permanent scratch in them with a fingernail. The older counters I've worked on seemed better in that respect.
colorfast
12 years ago
Mama-goose, those runnels are gorgeous! I went back and read your prior strands. I don't know how I missed them before, maybe because I was working on my own. I love what you are doing with your kitchen. Great job so far!
angie_diy
12 years ago
Thank you for posting this, mama goose! Your runnels look great!

I am planning to make my own runnels in soapstone. I have given a little thought to the jig I will need to make the taper, but I would LOVE to see pictures of the one your father built. I didn't see anything in your photo album. Could I ask you to (pretty please!) post a picture of it?

Thanks!
User
12 years ago
Those sure look professional !! Wow...great job. My DH is a chemist and he used to do that alcohol "trick" for the students LOL. So if you DO decide to do a flambe dinner you won't have to worry if you spill when you are lighting :) c
bmorepanic
12 years ago
Wow. Beautiful work. Looks great with your sink.
mjsee
12 years ago
Oh, WELL DONE. I'll have to keep an eye out for lab tables...I really like the look!
adel97
12 years ago
That is just ridiculous(ly cool)!
kmmh
12 years ago
Looks great! Congrats on a job well done!
aliris19
12 years ago
Mama goose, you are an inspiration. Thank you.
Circus Peanut
12 years ago
Oh, delicious! A job very well done. The runnels seem to suit the surface so well, too.

What brand is your router and would you recommend it? I'm in the market for a sturdy new one --
BeastBaby
12 years ago
Wow, I'm so inspired! That's a serious DIY accomplishment. I especially like how linear they are and how they come to a point instead of the more typical rounded off look. Good work.
mama goose_gw zn6OH
Original Author
12 years ago
Thank you, everyone! Seems as if my kitchen progress has been slow lately, and all your praise is much appreciated.

I apologize for not including more information with my first post--I'm usually the queen of long-winded explanations. I created an album with captions, and if anyone has other questions, I'd be happy to provide more info--I love spreading the DIY news!

The router I use is a Bosch 1617EVS. It's a good fit, and works well. I went slowly and adjusted the height of the bit two or three times for each runnel--two passes for the shorter outside runnels, and three passes each for the other five.

I forgot to take pics of the actual set-up, so here's a mock-up using scrap pieces of slab:

Angie and circuspeanut, good luck with your projects!
mama goose_gw zn6OH
Original Author
12 years ago
dee850, I tried scratching the material with a fingernail. It didn't make a mark, but these are old tops. They were used in a church hall for several years after the school was demolished.

I've found that they show 'metal marks' (from using a metal level), and I'm sure they'll scratch if a sharp object is dragged across them. I'll polish out what I can, and live with the rest. :/
MIssyV
12 years ago
wow, you are the ultimate DIY'r :) those look fantastic!
HomeNoobie
12 years ago
so creative!!!
angie_diy
12 years ago
Thank you thank you thank you. That is very informative, and was very kind of you to post. I had something along those lines in mind, but your version has a HUGE improvement over my idea. Merci!

BTW, I was not able to access your photo albums. The Windows Live one requires a login, and your photobucket album is a Private Album.
mama goose_gw zn6OH
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks everyone!

AngieDIY, Sorry, I forgot to edit my permissions after uploading the album--you should have access now. The photobucket account is just a 'holding tank' for pictures that I've posted on GW threads. You can access the same pictures in my SkyDrive albums.

Here is a link that might be useful: SkyDrive albums
mama goose_gw zn6OH
Original Author
12 years ago
This link should work.
Markar
12 years ago
Wow! The runnels and the salvaged countertop are very cool! And the DIY range hood from an old feed bin is amazing!!! Congrats!
angie_diy
12 years ago
Thank you so much, Mama_goose. That will help a lot! Thanks for taking the time to annotate the pix.

DIY runnels in epoxy lab countertops--progress pics

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